The Cleveland City Council held its regular meeting on September 22, 2025, at City Hall. The meeting included public comments, the passage of numerous ordinances and resolutions, and a farewell tribute to Councilmember Kerry McCormick, who will leave the council. All votes were unanimous (16-0) unless noted.
All legislation was passed unanimously (16-0) after motions to suspend the rules.
First Reading – Emergency Ordinances:
First Reading – Emergency Resolutions:
Second Reading – Emergency Ordinances (27 items): Included contracts for landscape materials, petroleum fuels, bonds for trucks and equipment ($8.5M), park improvements ($12M), buildings ($25.5M), street improvements ($28M), water meter maintenance, debris disposal, fencing, HVAC, backup electrical gear, proprietary replacement parts for port control, roof repairs, lease for a podcast studio at Burke Lakefront Airport, snow removal, radiation monitoring, tax abatement exemption, and grants for specialized dockets. Councilwoman Stephanie House Jones noted that the amended amounts for ordinances 673-678 were not reflected in the titles read, but the clerk confirmed the amendments would carry in the official record.
Second Reading – Emergency Resolutions:
Council President Blaine Griffin led a tribute to Councilman Kerry McCormick, who attended his last regular meeting after nine and a half years representing Ward 3. Griffin praised McCormick as a dedicated public servant and friend. Councilmembers Jasmine Santana, Richard Starr, Michael Palencic, Brian Casey, and Kevin Conwell offered heartfelt remarks. McCormick gave an emotional farewell speech, recalling key moments of joy, tragedy, hope, help, progress, community, challenge, and love during his service. He thanked his family, including his father Tim McCormick (former county commissioner), his partner Daniel, and introduced his successor Lauren Welsh, who will fill the remainder of his term.
Madam Clerk, please call the role. Griffin here, Bishop, Conwell, Gray, Hairston, Harsh, House Jones, Jones, Casey, Kelly, Moore, McCormack, Polensick, Santana, Slife, Spencer, Star. You have a quorum, Mr. President. Thank you. Will everyone rise for a moment of silence, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. I pledge allegiance to the flag. And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. I'll make the following statement. This meeting of Cleveland City Council is a lawful meeting under section six oh five. Members of the public are invited to and speak only under the rules set by this council. Disruptions, including but not limited to speaking out of turn and making loud noises and loud utterances are in violation of the rules and interfere with the due conduct of this lawful meeting. Such disruptions may constitute a misdemeanor and a violation of section six oh five. Anyone who disrupts this lawful meeting in violation of the codified ordinances commits misdemeanors and is subject to prosecution. The following is the first and only warning. Oath of office for Dave Telbin, Captain of Fire. Excuse me, 2025. Oath of office for Myron Jackson, Lieutenant of Fire. Without objection, plat approved. From the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, file number 1187 2025 regarding a transfer of ownership application at 5915 St. Clair Avenue War 10. Thank you. We'll now move to public comment. And I'd ask all of the council members to turn around to acknowledge the speakers and ask all the speakers to acknowledge your time. First and foremost, we have Reverend Pamela Pinckney from Cleveland, legislation and the impact on mothers. She's uh representing Pamela's People's Action Committee and Mothers' Lives Matter. Miss Pinkney, you have to be able to do it. Good evening, everyone. I'm Pamela, uh, 2028 presidential candidate for the United States of America. And as I spoke on last week, I was introducing a new trajectory. A trajectory basically determines the way that we're moving forward and upward. And this week, I would like to talk to about mothers. In such a time as this, the place, position, purpose, and presentation of the mother, it must come forth. It has been very underidentified, unrecognized, and mobilized, and very unspecified. The mother, the mom, the life and the role of us. Religions have defined and described what they believe it to be. Politicians have created laws defining and describing what it must be. Artists and entertainers have portrayed who and what we appear to be. Scientists have made their hypothesis and chemical equations and their limited knowledge of the physical, physiological, psychological, psychiatric, emotional, and neurological makeup of what their conclusion is regarding us, still not yet adequately defined, described, determined, delivered by any of them, even today in society. In many cases, some do not fully recognize the fact that mothers' lives, mom's lives, really do matter. There are no real programs that properly fulfill our needs and concerns. When success is recognized, we are bypassed for the fathers and our children. We are not recognized as also being the core of the success. However, when disaster impacts the family, we are recognized as the core of the blame. We are denied resources, rescue, adequate support, equal rights, and opportunities, especially we who are non-white. Those who signed the United States Constitution were white males with white female counterparts. We are denied the right to protect and provide for our people of our concern, including ourselves. My rights to keep them as well as myself safe to provide for us through the halls and walls of justice and the realms of religion.